Method of making imitation animal fur



. May 27,1930. w. ACHTMEYER 1,760,464

METHOD OF MAKING IMITATION ANIMAL FUR Filed Feb. 10. 1928 W lliam Acfizm'eyer INVENTOR BY ki hnz.

ATTOfiNEY Patent ed May 27, 1930 V T D STATES PATENT" ()FFICE.

mr'rnon or MAKING IMITATION ANIMAL non Application filed February 10 1928. Serial No. 253,505.

This invention relates to a method of makin imitation animal fur; and has for an ob]ect to provide for the manufacture of. a pile'fabric that embodies the characteristics of'animal fur which resides in the presence of fine soft fur close-tothe skin and lon coarse fur protruding beyond the fine soft ur.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the manufacture of a pile fabric having the usual ground or backing with pile threads consisting of relatively short, fine and wooly fibers or hairs such, for instance, as cashmere, close to the backing; and pile threads of relatively long, coarse and glossy fibers or hairs such, for instance, as mohair,-

. protruding therefrom. The specific nature of the said fibers or hairs may be varied by skilled selection in order to more closely approximate the character of the long and short hairs of the particular animal fur which it is desired to imitate.

In order more clearly to illustrate the in vention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawin s, in which, Fig. 1 represents a detail View 0 the long coarse fibres; Fig. 2 represents a similar view of the short fine fibres; Fig. 3 represents a similar view of the long and short fibres twisted into yarn; Fig. 4. represents'a similar view of the long fibres twisted around the short fibres; Fig. 5 represents a similar View of pile fabric with the pile made from the long and short fibres and showing the condition before carding; and Fig. 6 represents a similar view after carding.

As a first step in the manufacture according to my invention, there is provided, by a spinning operation, a yarn composed of rela- I tively long, coarse fibers, as illustrated in Figure 1 and relatively short, fine fibers, as lllllS- trated in Figure 2. These fibers may be spun together, in an ordinary spinning operation, to provide a continuous yarn as shown in Figure 3, or a yarn composed of the longer fibers may be twisted around a yarn com-. posed of the shorter fibers, as illustrated in Figure 4.

The yarn produced by either-of the above spinning operations may be twisted into thread in a conventional manner and employed in the production of my pile fabric by first weaving the fabric and cutting the pile threads after the manner commonly followed in the production of pile fabrics, as illustrated in Figure 5; and then combing or carding the pile so as to disentangle the lon and short fibers to a substantial extent and thereby cause the longer ones to stand up or protrude beyond the shorter, as illustrated in Figure 6.

. A'fabric thusmade wilLhave its pile composed of a lower layer of soft fine fibers giving a soft, cushiony and springy effect; together with a higher layer of coarse, wiry and glossy WILLIAM ncnrmma, or omen, CONNECTICUT, Assumes. 'ro simmer BLUMEIN- mm a co. me, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A conrormmron' on NEW YORK fibers having a protective effect and closely imitating the appearance of animal fur. The

fibers composing the two layers will be, of

course, intermixed, and the specific attributes of the fibers of each layer will vary according to the particular materials selected. lrrespective, however, of the particular selections, the product includes'the bachng with the two sets of pile of varying length, and the longer preferably coarser than the other, whereby the structure and appearance of animal fur, in general, is simulated.

I also mayv select and combine the yarns and threads in the twisting and weaving so as to simulate the colors and markings of the furs of various animals, in order more closely to achieve a simulation of the particular ani mal fur desired to be reproduced; as, for instance, by combining and alternating warp pile threads of diiferent colors to give stripes and vignetted shadings in the finished product.

As a result of my invention decided advantages are obtained because the characteristics ofanimal for above described are accurately reproduced at an expense much less than the cost of genuine fur; and further because the product can be woven of desired size for economical cutting inthe manufacture of garments, lap robes and the like, thereby eliminating the work and restrictions necessarily involved in the joining of pelts together and manufacturing of articles therefrom. Furthermore, the fabric is'porous, affords better ventilation than fur, and the backing is less I subject to cracking and tearing from drying out or being exposed to heat and cold.

. It will be understood that the described methods of-oombinifithe fibers and the references to particular of illustration, as other methods and other fibers may be used without departin from the spirit of my invention. It, thereIore, is not my intention to be limited to the details herein above set forth except as they are included in the claim. Furthermore, when I refer to fibers herein, I intend, of course, to include hairs, because the latter are common'-. ly used as fibers in the production of certain yarns and threads.

What I claim is;

A method of producing a pile fabric of the character described simulating animal fur, which includes the following steps: selecting longer and coarser and shorter and finer fibers, combining said fibers into a thread, weaving said thread into a backing so as to project from said backing in substantially straight lengths, severing said thread to form a pile and carding the pile to cause the longer and coarser and shorter and finer fibers to project unequall from the backing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 4th day of February, 1928.

WILLIAM ACHTMEYER.

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